The present invention relates to a wrap, membrane, or like sheet material for forming a water-resistive barrier within an exterior wall and/or roof of a building to protect the building from water or moisture penetration, and more particularly, the present invention relates to a water-resistive barrier and method of applying the barrier whereby all seams and/or edges are sealed tight to ensure optimum performance of the barrier.
When constructing or renovating a building, it is conventional practice to cover inner sheathing members of exterior walls or roof decks with a water-resistive barrier before windows, doors, or like construction elements and/or exterior siding or like coverings are installed. The water-resistive barrier is typically a layer of building paper, tar paper, roofing felt, house-wrap, or like membrane capable of forming a barrier layer about the building to prevent the penetration of air and/or water into the building through the barrier.
Some water-resistive barriers permit moisture vapor transmission so that moisture vapor present within the building can escape through the barrier layer. This prevents moisture vapor from being trapped within a wall cavity behind the barrier layer. Moisture vapor transmission is typically provided by house-wraps made of thermoplastic materials. Examples of thermoplastic house-wrap materials include TYPAR housewrap sold by BBA Fiberweb and TYVEK housewrap sold by Dupont.
The presence of a water-resistive barrier layer can also reduce air leaks through the walls and/or roofs of the building and may enable reductions in costs to heat and cool the building, for instance, by as much as 25% to 40%. Further, sealing the seams and edges of the barrier layer with the separate application of a construction tape or the like has been found to improve a house-wrap's performance by approximately 20% as compared to a barrier layer with unsealed seams and edges. For at least this reason, it is preferable to seal the seams and edges of the barrier layer with the separate application of a construction tape to ensure that moisture and air cannot penetrate the barrier layer through cracks and seams. Typically, the construction tape is an elongate strip of polypropylene film coated with an all-weather acrylic adhesive that forms a strong bond at the seams and edges of the barrier layer.
Accordingly, there is a need for a wrap, membrane, or the like that can be applied in a manner ensuring that all seams are sealed tight and prevent water and air infiltration through the barrier layer. A method of installing the barrier layer should enable ready application of a water-resistive barrier having tightly sealed seams and/or edges. The installation should require only a minimum of skill and labor, and the wrap should be capable of efficient and inexpensive manufacture.